The 1985-86 Los Angeles Lakers entered the season as the reigning NBA champions, aiming to defend their title with a roster led by Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy. Under the guidance of head coach Pat Riley, the Lakers concluded the regular season with an impressive 62-20 record, securing the top seed in the Western Conference.
Magic Johnson was a standout performer, leading the team with his exceptional playmaking skills, averaging 18.8 points, 12.6 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar continued to be a dominant force in the paint, contributing 23.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. The team’s balanced attack was further bolstered by James Worthy, Byron Scott, and A.C. Green, providing significant offensive and defensive contributions.
In the playoffs, the Lakers faced the San Antonio Spurs in the first round, sweeping them 3-0. They then encountered the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Semifinals, overcoming them in a 4-2 series victory. However, the Lakers’ quest for back-to-back titles was thwarted in the Western Conference Finals by the Houston Rockets, who defeated them in five games (4-1). The Rockets were propelled by the formidable duo of Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson, whose performance in Game 5, particularly Sampson’s miraculous buzzer-beater, ended the Lakers’ season abruptly.
The 1985-86 season, despite ending in disappointment, was marked by strong regular-season performance and showcased the Lakers’ continued dominance in the NBA during the 1980s.
- Regular Season Record: 62-20
- Playoff Result: Western Conference First Round: 3-0, Western Conference Semifinals: 4-2, Western Conference Finals: 1-4
Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats for 1985-86 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 79 | 23.4 | 6.1 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 14 | 25.9 | 5.9 | 3.5 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.0 |
| James Worthy | 75 | 20.0 | 5.2 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 14 | 19.6 | 4.6 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| Magic Johnson | 72 | 18.8 | 5.9 | 12.5 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 23.8 | 14 | 21.6 | 7.1 | 15.1 | 1.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Byron Scott | 76 | 15.4 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 36.1 | 14 | 16.0 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 35.3 |
| Maurice Lucas | 77 | 10.2 | 7.4 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 50.0 | 14 | 9.4 | 6.5 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Michael Cooper | 82 | 9.2 | 3.0 | 5.7 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 38.7 | 14 | 9.7 | 3.3 | 4.9 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 46.3 |
| Mike McGee | 71 | 8.3 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 36.0 | 6 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Pétur Guðmundsson | 8 | 7.3 | 4.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 12 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| A.C. Green | 82 | 6.4 | 4.6 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 16.7 | 9 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Mitch Kupchak | 55 | 6.0 | 3.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 5 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Kurt Rambis | 74 | 5.5 | 7.0 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 14 | 4.8 | 5.9 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Larry Spriggs | 43 | 5.0 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 3 | 6.7 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jerome Henderson | 1 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Chuck Nevitt | 4 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Ronnie Lester | 27 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
